Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog

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Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog
Directed by	Don Chaffey
Produced by	Hugh Attwooll
Written by	Eleanor Atkinson (story) Robert Westerby
Starring	Donald Crisp Laurence Naismith Alex Mackenzie Duncan Macrae Gordon Jackson Kay Walsh Andrew Cruickshank
Music by	Francis Chagrin
Cinematography	Paul Beeson
Editing by	Peter Tanner
Distributed by	Walt Disney Company Buena Vista Distribution Company National Broadcasting Company
Release date(s)	July 17, 1961 United States
Running time	87 minutes
Language	English
IMDb profile

Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog is a children's film from the United States, based on the novel by Eleanor Atkinson. It was released in 1961 by the Walt Disney Company, and was directed by Don Chaffey, who went on to make many other films, such as Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and The Magic of Lassie (1979). It is set in Scotland in 1875, and tells the story of a Skye Terrier named Bobby, who travels to Edinburgh with his master, a shepherd called Old Jock. When the man dies of "old age, exposure, and starvation", and is buried in the Greyfriars Kirk, the dog refuses to leave his master's grave.

1 Synopsis
2 The 'real' Bobby
3 Cast
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Synopsis

After the death of his master Auld Jock, Bobby repeatedly returns to his Auld Jock's grave to sleep. At first, the graveyard caretaker, James Brown, tries (unsuccessfully) to chase Bobby away. However, Bobby endears himself to all, and Brown and the local dining rooms owner, Traill, end up competing for his affections. Brown alleges Traill should pay Bobby's licence fee, which he refuses on principle, not being Bobby's master, and Bobby's fate rests with the Lord Provost of Edinburgh.

[edit] The 'real' Bobby

A statue of Greyfriars Bobby can be found on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh, not far from where John Gray is buried. The faithful Skye terrier slept on the old man's grave for fourteen years without fail, come wind or rain. After his death, Bobby was interred just inside the churchyard gates, given that no animal could be buried in consecrated ground.^[1]